Wildlife safaris · All of Rajasthan

Rajasthan Safari Tour: Tigers, Leopards, Gharials and Birds

A Rajasthan safari tour shows you a side of India that most itineraries skip. In one trip you can track tigers through dry forest, watch a leopard on a granite boulder, drift past gharials on the Chambal and spend a winter morning among thousands of water birds at Bharatpur.

Safari Tour India is based in Ranthambore, Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan. From here we plan safaris across the state: tigers in Ranthambore, Sariska and Mukundra Hills, leopards in Jhalana, Amagarh and Jawai, crocodiles and gharials on the Chambal, and birdwatching at Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur.

We plan for travellers coming from anywhere in India, whether that's Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru or Kolkata, and for guests flying in from the UK, the US, Europe or Australia. We book the safari permit in your name, find jeep or canter seats for your dates, and arrange hotels, a private car and airport or railway pickups. You deal with one team from the day you land to your last drive.

Tell us where you're travelling from and when. Call or WhatsApp +91 77373 10027 (WhatsApp works from any country) or email info@safaritourindia.com.

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Written and checked by the Safari Tour India team, Sawai Madhopur · Updated October 2026

Young tiger walking through the forest on a Rajasthan safari tour

Open safari jeep on a forest track in Ranthambore

5 safari typestiger, leopard, crocodile, birds, photo

8 parks and reservesacross Rajasthan

Jeep · Canter · Boatshared seat or private vehicle

Permit in your namebooked on the official system

Travelling from within India

From Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru or your city

Fly into Jaipur, or take a direct train to Sawai Madhopur from Delhi or Mumbai. We pick you up at the airport or station and book permits with your Aadhaar or other government ID.

Plan My Safari from India

Travelling from abroad

From the UK, US, Europe, Australia or elsewhere

Fly into Delhi or Jaipur and we'll handle the rest: airport pickup, permits on your passport, hotels and a driver. Message us on WhatsApp or email from any country.

Plan My Safari from Abroad

Choose your safari

Types of Wildlife Safari in Rajasthan

The parks are quite different from each other. Start with the animal you most want to see, then look at how many days you have and where else you're going.

Tiger Safari Leopard Safari Crocodile Safari Birdwatching Photography

01 · Tiger Safari Rajasthan

Tiger Safari in Rajasthan: Ranthambore, Sariska and Mukundra Hills

We run tiger safaris in three of Rajasthan's reserves. Ranthambore, near Sawai Madhopur, is the best known, with dry forest, old lakes and a thousand-year-old fort on the hill. Sariska, near Alwar, is the easiest to reach from Delhi. Mukundra Hills, near Kota, is quiet, with few vehicles and long stretches of open forest.

Every drive follows a fixed route inside an allotted zone, in a 6-seat jeep (Gypsy) or a 20-seat canter, with a forest guide on board. Mornings start cold and soft-lit. Afternoons end as animals walk down to the water. You'll see deer, langurs, peafowl and plenty of birds, and with some luck a tiger. Nobody can promise one, and we won't either.

SeasonOct to Jun (core zones)
DriveAbout 3 to 3.5 hours
VehicleJeep / Canter

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Tigress resting in Ranthambore National Park

Ranthambore Tiger Safari

Sawai Madhopur

Ten safari zones, lakes, ruins and the fort. The park most first-time visitors choose, about 180 km from Jaipur.

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Sariska Tiger Safari

Alwar

Aravalli hills and dry valleys, around 110 km from Jaipur. A good pick if your trip starts in Delhi.

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Mukundra Hills Tiger Safari

Kota

A newer reserve along the Chambal and its gorges, with far fewer vehicles. For travellers who want quiet over crowds.

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02 · Leopard Safari Rajasthan

Leopard Safari in Rajasthan's Aravalli Hills

Rajasthan is one of the better places in India to see a leopard. Jhalana and Amagarh sit on the edge of Jaipur, so you can fit a drive in before a day of forts and bazaars. Jhalana is open all year and drives last about two and a half hours.

Jawai, in Pali district, is very different: granite hills, a large reservoir and Rabari herders who have lived alongside leopards for generations. There are no fences here, and the cats are usually spotted on the rocks at dawn and dusk. Leopards are shy. A good sighting is often a spotted shape on a far boulder, so bring binoculars.

SeasonAll year (Jhalana, Jawai)
DriveAbout 2.5 to 3 hours
VehicleJeep

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Jhalana Leopard Safari

Jaipur

A forest reserve inside Jaipur city. Easy to do as a morning drive before you head to the forts.

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Amagarh Leopard Safari

Jaipur

Jhalana's quieter neighbour in the hills on Jaipur's eastern side, with fewer jeeps on the tracks.

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Female leopard resting on a granite rock

Jawai Leopard Safari

Pali

Granite hills, village temples and leopards on the rocks. Plan at least two nights to give yourself a fair chance.

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03 · Crocodile Safari Rajasthan

Crocodile and Gharial Safari on the Chambal

The Chambal runs through the National Chambal Sanctuary, a protected stretch of river shared by Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. On a boat ride from Palighat, about an hour's drive from Sawai Madhopur, you pass gharials lying on the sandbanks, mugger crocodiles, river terns and, in winter, Indian skimmers. Gangetic river dolphins live here too, though you'd be lucky to see one.

You don't always need a boat. Inside Ranthambore, mugger crocodiles rest along the edges of Padam Talao and Rajbagh lakes, and you may see them on a normal tiger safari.

Best seasonNov to Mar
Boat rideAbout 1 hour
VehicleBoat / Jeep

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Male gharial on the bank of the Chambal river

Chambal River Crocodile Safari

Boat safari

A slow boat ride past gharials, muggers and river birds. It pairs well with a stay in Ranthambore.

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Mugger crocodile resting on a rock in a lake

Ranthambore Crocodile Safari

Lakes inside the park

Muggers bask by the lakes below Ranthambore Fort, seen from your safari vehicle.

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04 · Birdwatching Tours Rajasthan

Birdwatching Tours in Rajasthan

Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best-known bird wetlands in Asia, with more than 350 species recorded. From about November to February, ducks, geese, pelicans and waders arrive for the winter. You explore on foot, by bicycle or in a cycle-rickshaw. The rickshaw pullers are licensed by the park, and many of them know their birds very well.

Ranthambore is good for birds too. Treepies, parakeets, kingfishers and crested serpent eagles turn up on most drives, which is why birders often add a day there.

Best seasonNov to Feb
ModeWalk / Cycle / Rickshaw
ParkOpen all year

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Bharatpur Birdwatching Tour

Keoladeo National Park

Winter migrants, nesting storks and quiet trails you cover slowly by rickshaw or on foot.

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Ranthambore Birdwatching Tour

From our Sawai Madhopur packages

Forest birds, raptors and lake birds, combined with your tiger drives.

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Who it's for

A Rajasthan Safari for Every Kind of Traveller

A honeymoon couple and a family with two kids need very different trips. This is how we usually plan for each.

Couples and anniversary trips

Book a private jeep so it's just the two of you and the guide. We can pick a quieter lodge near the park and keep an afternoon free between drives.

Families with children

Kids usually enjoy a jeep drive more than a long day of monuments. Children need a permit too, so we check the park's rules for their ages and keep road time short.

Friends and groups

A canter seats up to about 20, so a large group can ride together. For six or fewer, a full jeep is easier and keeps everyone in one vehicle.

Solo travellers

You can take a single seat in a shared jeep or canter, so you don't pay for an empty vehicle. We'll tell you which zones and time slots still have seats.

International travellers

Foreign nationals book with a passport, and permit fees differ from Indian rates. We pair the safari with forts and cities and send everything you need to know before you fly.

05 · Photographic Safari Tours Rajasthan

Wildlife Photography Safaris in Rajasthan

Photographers like Rajasthan because the backdrop keeps changing. In Ranthambore you shoot tigers against lakes, old ruins and dry grass. Jawai's leopards sit on pale granite, which makes for clean frames. At Bharatpur the birds are often close, and you get flight shots over open water.

Light matters as much as luck. Morning drives start in soft, low light, and afternoon drives end in warm light as animals move to the water. In summer the forest thins out and animals gather at waterholes. That helps, though the heat is hard on people and on gear.

Tell us your camera, your longest lens and how many people are coming. If you shoot with a big lens, a private jeep gives you room to move. No photograph can be promised, and the animals and park rules always come first.

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Tiger Photography Safari

Several drives in Ranthambore, with time at waterholes in good light.

Leopard Photography Safari

Dawn and dusk drives in Jawai, where leopards rest on open rock.

Bird Photography Tour

Bharatpur's wetlands for storks, kingfishers and raptors, with time on foot.

Wildlife Photography Safari

Deer, crocodiles, birds and big cats across two or more parks.

Black-rumped flameback woodpecker at Keoladeo National Park

Nature & Bird Photography Tour

Slower days for landscapes, small birds and habitat detail.

Compare

Which Rajasthan Safari Should You Choose?

For a first safari, most people pick tigers in Ranthambore. The table shows how the other options compare.

Safari	Where	Best for	Best season	Vehicle
Tiger safari	Ranthambore, Sariska, Mukundra Hills	First safari, tiger lovers, families	Oct to Jun (Apr to Jun near water)	Jeep / Canter
Leopard safari	Jhalana, Amagarh (Jaipur), Jawai (Pali)	Short trips from Jaipur, photographers	All year	Jeep
Crocodile and gharial safari	Chambal River, Ranthambore lakes	River lovers, children, birders	Nov to Mar	Boat / Jeep
Birdwatching	Bharatpur, Ranthambore	Birders, families, slow travellers	Nov to Feb	Walk / Cycle / Rickshaw
Photography safari	Ranthambore, Jawai, Bharatpur	Beginner and serious photographers	Oct to Jun	Private jeep

Still not sure? Send us your dates and we'll suggest two options that fit.

Plan by season

Best Time for a Safari in Rajasthan

Short answer: October to June is the main safari season. October to March is cool and best for birds. April to June is hot, but tigers come out to the water, so sightings often improve. From July to September the core zones of Ranthambore and Sariska close for the monsoon.

Not everything shuts in the rains. Jhalana, Jawai and Bharatpur stay open all year, and some Ranthambore buffer zones run in the monsoon, depending on the weather. Bharatpur is at its best from November to February, when the migrants are in.

Drive timings move with sunrise. In Ranthambore a winter morning drive starts around 7:00 am and a summer one around 6:00 am. Rules and timings can change from year to year, so we check the forest department's schedule before we confirm anything.

OctCool, parks reopen

Nov to FebCool, peak season, best for birds

MarWarm, good all-round month

Apr to JunHot, strong tiger sightings near water

Jul to SepMonsoon: core zones closed, Jhalana, Jawai and Bharatpur open

Safari + sightseeing

Add a Safari to Your Rajasthan Holiday

Most of our guests don't come only for wildlife. Ranthambore is about 180 km from Jaipur and has its own railway station on the Delhi to Mumbai line, and Jhalana is inside Jaipur itself, so a safari slips easily between city stops.

All Rajasthan Tours

Entrance gate of Ranthambore Fort, Sawai Madhopur

Tour packages

Sawai Madhopur Tour Packages

Stay near Ranthambore with safaris, the fort and local transfers sorted.

Itinerary · 3N / 4D

Jaipur to Ranthambore Tour

Forts and bazaars in Jaipur, then two or three drives in Ranthambore.

Itinerary · 6N / 7D

Golden Triangle with Ranthambore

Delhi, Agra and Jaipur with a wildlife stop, timed so you don't rush the safaris.

Who plans your safari

A Local Team in Sawai Madhopur

Our office is in Sawai Madhopur town, a short drive from the Ranthambore gate. We know which zones fill up first, how long the road from Jaipur really takes, and which slots give photographers the best light.

We book each permit in the traveller's own name, so the ID on the permit always matches the person in the jeep. You deal with one person on WhatsApp from your first message to your last drive, and the quote lists every service before you pay a rupee.

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Safari vehicles and visitors in Ranthambore National Park

Booking

How to Book Your Rajasthan Safari

01Share your plansSend your dates, group size, the park you have in mind and what you'd most like to see.
02We check availabilityWe look at open zones, time slots and jeep or canter seats, plus hotels close to the gate.
03Confirm and payYou get a quote listing every service. Once you agree and pay, we book the permit in your name.
04Get readyWe send pickup time and reporting details on WhatsApp. Carry the same original ID you used to book.

On Safari: Six Things to Remember

Carry the original ID used for booking
Keep your voice low
Stay inside the vehicle
No feeding animals, no litter
Wear earthy, muted colours
Bring binoculars and water

FAQ

Rajasthan Safari FAQs

Can't find your answer? Call or WhatsApp +91 77373 10027.

Which animals can I see on a Rajasthan safari?

It depends on the park. Ranthambore, Sariska and Mukundra Hills have tigers, leopards, sloth bears, sambar and chital deer. Jhalana, Amagarh and Jawai are leopard country. The Chambal has gharials, mugger crocodiles and river birds, and Bharatpur has more than 350 bird species on record. Animals move freely, so no sighting is guaranteed.

When is the best time for a safari in Rajasthan?

October to June is the main season. October to March is cool and best for birdwatching. April to June is hot, but tigers come to the water, so sightings often improve. The core zones of Ranthambore and Sariska close from July to September, while Jhalana, Jawai and Bharatpur stay open.

How much does a Rajasthan safari tour cost?

It depends on the park, whether you take a shared canter seat, a shared jeep seat or a full private jeep, and whether you are an Indian or foreign national, since permit fees differ. Hotels and transport are added on top. Send us your dates and group size and we will send an itemised quote.

Jeep or canter: which should I book?

A jeep (Gypsy) seats six, moves quietly and handles narrow tracks, so it suits couples, families and photographers. A canter seats about 20 and costs less per seat. Both drive the same zones. In peak season jeeps sell out first, so book early if you want one.

Is a tiger sighting guaranteed?

No. Tigers move freely between zones and nobody can promise a sighting. Your chances go up with more drives, so we usually suggest two to four safaris. The hot months from April to June are often the best, because tigers spend more time near water.

Which safari is closest to Jaipur?

Jhalana Leopard Reserve is inside Jaipur city, and Amagarh is on its eastern edge. Both suit a leopard drive between sightseeing. Ranthambore is about 180 km from Jaipur, roughly three to four hours by road, or a short train ride to Sawai Madhopur.

Is Rajasthan good for a family wildlife holiday?

Yes. Children usually love a jeep drive, and Bharatpur's flat trails and the Chambal boat ride are easy for all ages. Children need a permit too, and rules vary by park, so we check them for your children's ages and keep transfer times short.

Can international tourists book a safari?

Yes. Foreign nationals book with a passport number and carry the original passport on the day. Permit fees for foreigners are higher than Indian rates. Most guests from abroad fly into Delhi or Jaipur, and we can arrange the airport pickup, hotels, transfers and the rest of your India trip.

Can I combine a safari with city sightseeing?

Yes. Ranthambore fits between Jaipur and Agra, Jhalana fits into a Jaipur day, and Jawai sits between Jodhpur and Udaipur. Plan at least one night near each park so you don't rush the drives.

How do I book a Rajasthan safari with Safari Tour India?

Call or WhatsApp +91 77373 10027, or email info@safaritourindia.com. Share your dates, group size, preferred park and vehicle. We check availability, send a quote and book the permit in your name once you confirm.

Plan Your Rajasthan Wildlife Trip

Whether you're coming from Pune or from Paris, tell us your dates, the city or country you're travelling from and what you'd like to see. We'll send a plan with transfers from your arrival point. Popular zones sell out weeks ahead in peak season, so writing early gives you more choice.

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